Magnetically controlled apparatus

ABSTRACT

AN IMPROVED MAGNETICALLY CONTROLLED APPARATUS IS PROVIDED WHICH PERMITS THE PLAYER TO CONTROL MOVEMENTS OF A TOY VEHICLE ABOUT THE SURFACE OF A GAME BOARD. THE TOY VEHICLE IS PROPELLED ACROSS THE SURFACE OF THE GAME BOARD FROM ONE END OF THE APPARATUS TO THE OTHER BY MEANS OF A CARRIAGE MOUNTED UNDER THE GAME BOARD AND MAGNETICALLY COUPLED THROUGH THE BOARD TO THE VEHICLE. THE CARRIAGE IS MOVED UNDER THE FORCE OF GRAVITY, OR BY AN APPROPRIATE DRIVE MECHANISM FROM ONE ENDS OF THE HOUSING TO THE OTHER. AS THE VEHICLE IS PROPELLED BY THE CARRIAGE, IT CAN BE INDEPENDENTLY STEERED TRANSVERSELY TO   THE PATH OF THE CARRIAGE UNDER THE CONTROL OF A STEERING WHEEL WHICH IS ROTABLY MOUNTED ON THE HOUSING, AND WHICH CAUSES A MAGNETIC ELEMENT ON THE CARRIAGE TO MOVE FROM ONE SIDE OF THE CARRIAGE TO THE OTHER.

Dec. 14, 1971 QD. Bm LL 3,626,635

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05W) fiwmdwu United States Patent O 3,626,635 MAGNETICALLY CONTROLLED APPARATUS John D. Birdsall, 17446 Posetano Road, Pacific Palisades, Calif. 90272 Filed Dec. 31, 1970, Ser. No. 103,254 Int. Cl. A63h 18/10 US. Cl. 46-240 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An improved magnetically controlled apparatus is provided which permits the player to control movements of a toy vehicle about the surface of a game board. The toy vehicle is propelled across the surface of the game board from one end of the apparatus to the other by means of a carriage mounted under the game board and magnetically coupled through the board to the vehicle. The carriage is moved under the force of gravity, or by an appropriate drive mechanism from one end of the housing to the other. As the vehicle is propelled by the carriage, it can be independently steered transversely to the path of the carriage under the control of a steering wheel which is rotatably mounted on the housing, and which causes a magnetic element on the carriage to move from one side of the carriage to the other.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE Magnetically controlled toys and game devices are well-known to the art in which movements of a toy vehicle on a playing surface are controlled by means of a magnet under the surface. However, the prior art game devices of this general type are constructed either to be of such a simple nature that only limited control of the vehicle is possible resulting in limited amusement appeal; or else the prior art game devices are constructed to be excessively complex and expensive, and to be subject to breakdown unless handled with extreme care and delicacy.

The apparatus of the present invention is advantageous in that it is relatively simple in its construction, and yet it provides the player with the capability of actually simulating the steering of a vehicle, and of determining the course of the vehicle, as the vehicle is propelled along the playing surface from a point of origin to a destination. As noted above, the steering of the vehicle is controlled by a steering wheel mounted on the apparatus so that actual driving conditions are simulated.

An objective of the invention therefore is to provide an improved apparatus of the type described, and one which has high amusement appeal in that it simulates actual driving conditions as a vehicle is propelled along a selected course towards a destination. Yet, the apparatus of the invention is relatively simple and economical in its construction, and so that it may be sold at a reasonable price.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a top perspective view showing the apparatus representative of one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus of FIG. 1, and partially a section to reveal the internal components of the apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a perspective representation of an internal carriage which moves within the housing of the apparatus of FIG. 2, and also showing various controls for the carriage, and for a magnetic element which is mounted on the carriage;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary representation of a modified mechanism for controlling the magnetic element on the carriage of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of a second, embodiment of the invention;

Patented Dec. 14, 1971 FIG. 6 is a view like FIG. 5, but revealing certain internal operating components of the apparatus of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a view like FIG. 6, but revealing other operating components within the apparatus of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective representation of the internal operating components of yet another embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT The apparatus of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 includes a housing 10 which, as best shown in FIG. 2, is supported on a stand 11 to assume an inclined position. A panel 12 is mounted on the housing 10, and this panel defines a surface on which a vehicle, such as a car 14 is propelled. The panel 12 is composed of a non-magnetic permeable material, so that magnetic coupling may be exerted between a permanent magnet 16 which is mounted on the vehicle 14, and a second oppositely-poled permanent magnet 18 which is mounted by means of a bracket 20 on a carriage 22. As shown in FIG. 3, for example, the bracket 20 is pivotally mounted on the carriage 22, so that as the bracket is turned about its pivot axis 26, the magnet 18 is caused to move from one side of the carriage 22 to the other.

As shown in FIG. 3, the carriage 22 rolls down the inclined housing 10 from end to the other under the vehicle 14, and by virtue of the magnetic attraction between the magnets 16 and 18, the vehicle is caused to move with the carriage down the inclined Surface 12. It will be understood, of course, that the magnet 16 may be replaced by magnetic material which would be attracted bythe permanent magnet 18, and vice versa. Also, if so desired, the magnets 16 and 18 may be electromagnets suitably energized to exert the desired magnetic coupling between the vehicle 14 and the carriage 22.

As the carriage 22 rolls down the inclined housing, and due to the aforesaid magnetic coupling, it causes the vehicle 14 to move with it. A drum 30 is mounted at the upper end of the housing 10, and a pair of tapes 32, 34 are reeled on the drum 30 and extend to the pivotally mounted bracket 20. The tapes 32 and 34, for example, may be film leaders, such as used in the motion picture art, and they may have appropriate sprocket holes in them which are engaged by sprocket wheels 33 and 35 to assure that proper registry exists at all times between the tapes 32 and 34. An appropriate brake (not shown) controlled by a lever 36 is mounted within the housing to bear against the drum 30, so that a braking action may 'be exerted on the drum as the carriage 22 and vehicle 14 move down the inclined housing. In this way, the speed of the vehicle may be controlled by manipulation of the lever 36.

A steering wheel 40 is rotatably mounted at the upper end of the housing, and a bifurcated bracket 42 is. attached to the steering wheel column which has a pair of arms with end loops which slida'bly engage the tapes 32 and 34 respectively. It will be appreciated that as the steering wheel 40 is turned, one or the other of the tapes 32 and 34 is pulled down by the bracket 42, so as to cause the bracket 20 to turn about its pivot axis 26. In this way, the magnet 18 can be moved from one side of the carriage 22 to the other to provide the desired steering control for the vehicle 14 as it moves down the inclined surface 12. Therefore, merely by turning the steering wheel 40, the vehicle :may be controlled to turn along any desired course in its travel from the upper to the lower end of the supporting surface 12.

In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the housing 10 is inclined, as in the previous embodiment, and the carriage 22 rolls down the housing and the vehicle 14 (not shown in FIG. 4). The steering wheel 40 is coupled to the magnet 18 and the carraige 22 by means of a shaft 44. A pair of pinions 46 and 47 are mounted on each end of the shaft 44 to engage to transverse racks 45 and 49 which are mounted in the housing 10.

The magnet 18 in the embodiment of FIG. 5, is mounted on a slide 51 which has legs 51a straddling the shaft 44. As the carriage 22 moves down the inclined housing, the shaft 44 is moved from one side of the housing to the other by causing the pinions 46 and 47 to roll along their corresponding racks 45 and 49. Such trans verse movement of the shaft 44 draws the slide 51 and permanent magnet 18 with it, so as to perform the desired steering function. The steering wheel 40 is coupled to the shaft 44 through a cord and pulley arrangement which comprises a cord 53 wrapped around a drum 55 on the steering column 57, and a pair of pulleys 59 and 61. The cord 53 is secured to a steering guide 63 which is slidable on a transverse member 65 mounted in the housing 10. When the steering wheel 40 is turned, the guide 63 is drawn in one direction or the other by cord 53 along the member 65 so as to cause the shaft 44 to turn its pinions 46 and 47 along the corresponding racks 45 and 49 thereby to cause the shaft 44 to move transversely of the housing and to perform its aforesaid steering function.

The carriage return spool 69 is mounted on a shaft 71 and is turned by means, for example, of a hand crank 73. A cord 75 is wrapped around the spool 69 and is secured to the carriage 22 by appropriate eyelets 77. It is apparent that when the left-hand end of the housing is inclined up from the right-hand end, the carriage 22 is free to slide down the incline from the upper to the lower end. Then, the carriage may be returned to the upper end, merely by turning the crank 73. A brake 79 is pivotally mounted to the end of the housing 10, and a brake band 81 is looped around the shaft 71. When the brake 79 is actuated, the brake band 81 is caused to engage the shaft with a frictional force, and thereby applying a braking action to the shaft to control the downward speed of the carriage 22.

As an alternative, a drive motor 85 may be mounted on the carriage 22. The motor is energized by batteries 87 when switch 89 is closed. Switch 89 is closed when it engages pin 91 at the end of the carriage travel. This causes the motor to be energized which returns the carriage to its starting position. A similar pin (not shown) then turns off the switch.

The second embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7. The latter embodiment includes a housing 50 which suports a non-permeable panel member 52 the latter defining the surface along which the vehicle 14 is moved. As before, the steering wheel 40 mounted on the housing 50 may be turned to steer the vehicle 14 along any desired course, as the vehicle is moved along the surface defined by panel 52 from one end of the housing to the other, and a braking action is provided by the lever 36 mounted adjacent the steering wheel 40 at the same end of the housing. The embodiment of FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 has the advantage in that a motor may be included in the apparatus to return the carriage 22 to the point of origin, thereby obviating any need to wind the carriage back up to the top of the inclined housing 50, as is the case with the previous embodiment, in which the drum.30

. is turned manually by handle 31 to reel back the carriage 22 to its upper origin position.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 the carriage 52 is supported within the housing 50 for movement from one end of the housing to the other. A pair of offset eyelets 54 and 56 are mounted on the carriage, and a cord 58 is looped through the eyelets and around a fixed pulley 60 and one end of the housing and around a movable pulley 62 at the other end of the housing. The pulley 62 is mounted on the drive shaft of the motor 64 which in turn is mounted on a resilient hinged member 66, the latter being attached to the adjacent end of the housing.

A spring 68 attached to the hinge 66 normally biases the motor 64 and pulley 62 into a position in which the cord loop 58 is relatively loose so that the carriage is freely movable from one end of the housing to the other. However, the lever 36 is coupled to a pin 69 which, in turn, engages a cord 70, the cord being looped through a pulley 72 and attached to the free end of the hinged member 66. Now, when the lever 36 is turned to a braking position, the hinged member 66 is moved so as to pull the pulley 62 away from the pulley 60 and tighten the cord loop 58. The tightening of the cord loop 58, as it passes through the eyelets 54 and 56 produces a braking action on the carriage 52.

Therefore, when the apparatus of FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 is mounted in an inclined position, for example, the lever 36 may be turned to release the carriage 52 and cause it to move freely down towards the lower end of the housing. However, at any time, the lever 36 may be activated to produce the aforesaid braking action on the carriage. An electric switch 74 may be positioned in the path of the pin 68, so that further movement of the lever 36 energizes the motor 64 to turn the cord loop 58 and return the carriage 52 to the upper end of the housing. An appropriate limit switch (not shown) may be provided to de-energize the motor 64 when the carriage has reached its origin position at the upper end of the carriage.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, the magnet 18 is mounted, for example, in a second carriage 78 which includes legs protruding down through a slot in carriage 52 to straddle a steering bar 80 (FIG. 6). The legs of the second carriage 78 engage the steering bar 80 and cause the carriage 78 to move back and forth lOIlg the carriage 52 when the steering bar 80 is correspondingly moved across the housing 50, so that the magnet 18 on the carriage 78 may be moved back and forth across the carriage 52 to perform its desired steering function.

As shown in FIG. 6, the steering bar extends from one end of the carriage to the other, and it is affixed to a cord 84 which extends through pulleys 86, as illustrated and around a shaft 40a connected to the steering wheel 40. When the steering 40 is turned, the cord 84 turns in the pulleys 86 to cause the steering bar 80 to move towards one side or the other of the housing 50, it causes the subcarriage 78 to move along the trough in the carriage 52, thereby moving the magnet 18 to perform the desired steering function.

The embodiments of FIGS. l-4 and 57 are intended to operate on an inclined plane. The embodiment of FIG. 8, on the other hand, may be horizontal, and in other respects, it may be similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 5, 6 and 7. For example, the embodiment of FIG. 8 includes a housing which may incorporate the same steering bar 80 as used in the previous embodiment, and controlled in the same way. Likewise, the carriage 52 may be the same carriage as in the previous embodiment as may the sub-carriage 78 which supports the magnet 18.

However, the embodiment of FIG. 8 has certain advantages in that continuous movement of the vehicle may be achieved, since the carriage 52 is controlled to be reciprocally driven from one end of the housing to the other. This is achieved by driving the carriage 52 by means of a chain 104 which is looped around of pair of sprockets 106 and 108 at opposite ends of the housing, the chain being disposed along one side of the housing, as shown. The sprocket 108 may be mounted on an appropriate drive shaft which is driven by a motor 110.

The motor 110 drives the chain in one direction, and is preferably a variable speed motor, so that the speed of the vehicle may be controlled. The chain is coupled to the carriage 52 by means of a stud 111 which extends into a slot on one side of the carriage. The stud 111 is mounted on one of the links of the chain 104 and protrudes outwardly from that link. The stud 111 draws the carriage 52 along the housing 100 from one end to the other, as the chain moves about the sprockets 106 and 108.

Whenever the carriages move to one end or the other of the housing, the stud 111 either moves from the lower loop of each chain to the upper loop around, for example, the sprocket 108, or moves from the upper loop of the chain to the lower loop, around, for example, the sprocket 106. Whenever the stud moves around either sprocket, its position is reversed, so that it then draws the carriage 52 in the opposite direction towards the other end of the housing. The aforesaid action continues, so long as the motor 110 is energized, so that the vehicle may be moved from one end of the housing to the other, and steered continuously around a course, such as shown, for example, in FIG. 5. In the embodiment of FIG. 8 the steering bar is supported up off the base of the housing, and it may be so supported on appropriate transverse supports 112.

It will be appreciated that the game apparatus of the present invention is relatively simple in its concept, and is relatively inexpensive to produce. The game has the advantage in that actual driving conditions may be simulated, whereby the player guides the vehicle along a predetermined course, as the vehicle moves towards its destination.

It will also be appreciated that while particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, modifications may be made. It is intended to cover all such modifications in the appended claims as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Magnetically controlled apparatus for causing movement of a vehicle about a supporting surface, said apparatus including: a housing; a panel member composed of non-magnetic material mounted on said housing and forming the aforesaid supporting surface for said vehicle; a carriage supported within said housing for movement from one end of the housing to the other; a magnetic element mounted on said carriage for exerting a magnetic control on said vehicle to cause said vehicle to move with said carriage from one end of said housing to the other; bracket means supporting said magnetic element on said carriage to permit movement of said magnetic element from one side of said carriage to the other; steering means rotatably mounted on said housing; and coupling means coupling said steering means to said bracket means to permit said steering means to cause said magnetic element to move transversely of the direction of movement of said carriage and independently of the position of said carriage between the ends of said housing.

2. The magnetically controlled apparatus defined in claim 1 in which said housing and said panel member are supported in an inclined position to permit said carriage to move under the force of gravity from one end of the housing to the other.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 1, in which said bracket means is pivotally mounted on said carriage; and

said coupling means includes a drum, a pair of tapes reeled onto said drum and connected to said bracket means, and control arms afiixed to said steering means and engaging said tapes to distort one or the other thereof as said steering means is rotated thereby to cause said bracket means to turn about its pivotal axis and move the said magnetic element from one side of said carriage to the other.

4. The magnetically controlled apparatus defined in claim 1 in which said coupling means comprises a shaft coupled to said steering means to be actuated thereby, a pinion on said shaft and coupled thereto to be turned when said shaft is turned, and a rack member transversely mounted in said housing and engaging said pinion so as to cause said shaft to move transversely of said carriage as said pinion turns, thereby to move sad magnetic element from one side of said carriage to the other.

5. The magnetically controlled apparatus defined in claim 1 in which said coupling means includes a bar extending from one end of said housing to the other, pulleys mounted on said housing, and cord means atfixed to said bar and extending around said pulleys to said steering means, so that rotation of said steering means causes said bar to move transversely from one side of said carriage to the other; and said bracket means engages said bar to be moved thereby from one side of said carriage to the other.

6. The magnetically controlled apparatus defined in claim 1 and which includes a pair of eyelets mounted in offset relationship on said carriage, a first pulley mounted at one end of said housing; a second pulley; movable support means mounting said second pulley at the other end of said housing; a cord looped around said first and second pulleys and through both said eyelets; control means mechanically coupled to said movable support means to move said second pulley to a first position in which said cord is slack to permit free movement of said carriage, and to move said second pulley to a second position in which said cord is tightened to produce a braking action for said carriage.

7. The combination defined in claim 6 and which includes electric motor means coupled to said second pulley and causing said cord to move said carriage from one end of the housing to the other when said cord is in its tightened condition.

8. The combination defined in claim 7 and which includes electric switch means for energizing said motor, and means actuating said switch when said control means moves said second pulley to a position to tighten said cord.

9. The magnetically controlled apparatus defined in claim 1 in which said carriage is horizontally supported and said panel member is disposed in a horizontal plane.

10. The magnetically controlled apparatus defined in claim 1 and which includes drive means including an electric motor for moving said carriage from one end of the housing to the other.

11. The combination defined in claim 10 in which said drive means includes first and second sprockets mounted at each end of said housing, a chain looped around said sprocket, and a stud coupling said sprocket to said carriage, so that said carriage is moved reciprocally between the ends of said housing by said stud as said chain moves in a predetermined direction.

12. The magnetically controlled apparatus defined in claim 1, and which includes a drive motor mounted on said carriage, and switch means mounted on said carriage for causing said motor to be energized and de-energized for predetermined positions and said carriage in said housing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,098,406 11/1937 Slezak 273-86 B 2,806,323 9/1957 Oback. 3,253,364 5/1966 Hinkson. 3,379,440 4/1968 'Jafie 273-86 B ANTONIO F. GUIDA, Primary Examiner R. F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

46243 MV; 27386 B 

